Patent GB-1342018-A (GB)
Title: Electric motor control systems
IPC: H02P7/298
Filed: 1971-05-04
Abstract: 1342018 Control of D.C. motors GENERAL ELECTRIC CO 4 May 1971 [5 May 1970] 12882/71 Heading H2J [Also in Division G3] A D.C. motor is retroactively controlled, via an armature current control unit 16, which may permit regenerative braking, comprising a motor-generator, or valves or solid state rectifiers with firing pulse control, to provide a constant torque speed range, and via a field control unit 26 comprising controlled rectifiers if the supply is A.C., or a motor driven rheostat if the supply is D.C. to provide control over a constant power, field weakening range, Fig. 2 (not shown). Control system, Fig. 1.-A three-wire source 48 supplies a command signal source 50 which may be a computer, or digital device with a d/a converter, providing contactless reversing, the output therefrom, in sign and magnitude, denoting desired motor direction and speed respectively. Unit 52, which may be omitted, serves to modify the command signal, for example converting a stepwise time variation to a linear one. A motor driven speed sensor 28 which may be a tachogenerator or a pulse generator with a digital/analogue converter, provides an A.C. or D.C. feedback signal representing actual motor speed, and fed to the A.C. terminals of a bridge rectifier 164, Fig. 3, contained in amplifier stage 34, so that the polarity of the connections 30, 32 does not affect system operation. The command and actual valve signals are compared in amplifier stage 34, whose output 54 controls the power control unit 56 and when full armature current is reached, the field control unit 26, a signal to terminal 62 in the field weakening range, causing the amplifier stage 34 to respond more sensitively to deviations from the desired motor speed. Amplifier stage 34, Fig. 3.-The feedback signal from rectifier 164 provides positive and negative voltage components, whose relative balance is set by potentiometer 154 to input leads 82, 84 of inverting operational amplifiers 72, 74, which both receive the command signal from terminal 40. Diodes 114, 116 ensure that, in dependence upon the direction of motor rotation, only that one of amplifiers 72, 74 for which the desired and actual signals are opposing each other to give an error signal on either one of lines 78,80 is not clamped, the amplifier momentarily receiving positive feedback being clamped by its forward biased diode. A stabilizing circuit 76, including capacitor 98 limits the transient response of either of amplifiers 72, 74, the sensitivity being set by potentiometer 102 to suit motor characteristics in the constant torque speed control range. When field weakening is introduced, a signal to terminal 62 causes transistor, or thyristor 122 to conduct, providing an alternative discharge path for capacitor 98, and making the system more sensitive to transient signal changes. It is stated that a transistor 122 may operate with either polarity across its collector-emitter terminals, in view of the high base current which can pass. In a slave drive unit the units 48, 50, Fig. 1, may be replaced by the tachogenerator of another system.